Energy Pathway – The National Wildlife Federation Bloghttp://blog.nwf.org
The National Wildlife Federation's blogThu, 24 May 2018 16:06:07 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.5139259312Eco-Schools USA Traveling Along the Pathways to Sustainability – Part 3http://blog.nwf.org/2017/10/eco-schools-usa-traveling-along-the-pathways-to-sustainability-part-3/
http://blog.nwf.org/2017/10/eco-schools-usa-traveling-along-the-pathways-to-sustainability-part-3/#respondTue, 03 Oct 2017 13:00:33 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=130934Imagine if your school district could cut energy usage by 10% or even 20%. Not only would the cost savings be dramatic, it would also reduce the environmental impact that goes along with energy consumption. In this third and final post in our series highlighting the 12 Eco-Schools USA Pathways, we focus on Energy, along with Water, Biodiversity and Sustainable Food. These pathways provide opportunities for students to use problem solving skills to address real world problems, such as finding effective ways to conserve energy and water, increasing biodiversity on school grounds, and ensuring that fresh and local foods are a part of the school cafeteria culture.

SERIES 3

Energy, Water, Biodiversity, Sustainable Food

Energy

Boston Latin School Bulb Exchange. Photo Credit: Cathy Arnold

Is your school filled with electronics that sit idle for much of the day? Computer monitors, printers, smartboards and projectors are just some of the culprits that are analyzed during the Eco-Schools energy audit. Students working with facilities managers can play a big role in driving solutions for problem areas. Keep in mind that the Energy Pathway must be addressed if your school is applying for a Green Flag award. One of the easiest ways to get started is to reduce the amount of energy used by electronics and office equipment throughout the school.

Turn computers off at the end of the day. Arrange for computers to go into sleep mode when not in use, and avoid installing screen savers.

When buying new equipment, choose Energy Star models.

Use only necessary equipment. For example, confirm that all printers on the network are used regularly.

Water

Water Conservation Poster, Photo Credit: Marya Fowler

Water is the one thing that many of us take for granted, which is all the more reason for students and schools to address the Water Pathway. Students will develop their systems thinking skills as they study how water cycles through the environment and find ways to reduce water consumption and waste at school. One place to start is by establishing water-efficient irrigation practices on school grounds. Work with the facilities department to determine if these water and cost saving features are in place.

Biodiversity

In today’s world, teaching students about the importance of biodiversity is more important than ever, and addressing the Biodiversity Pathway is a great place to begin. There are plenty of opportunities for hands-on learning and getting students engaged in citizen science as students learn about native plants important to pollinators, or observe the number of bird species on school grounds. Drawing on math skills, students can calculate a biodiversity index as part of a school grounds audit.

Jitta Bug Learning Center. Photo Credit: Adreinne Donaldson

Kick things off by educating the school community about the importance of biodiversity.

Ask someone from a local organization (such as a zoo, master gardener, native plant society, etc.) to give a presentation about biodiversity for students.

Put up signs highlighting the different types of plants and animals that call your school grounds home.

Discuss with students how the ecosystem they live in differs from ecosystems in other parts of the world, and what plants and animals make it unique.

Sustainable Food

Savanah Country Day School vegetable garden. Photo Credit: Laura Hickey

Each school day, more than 30 million children are served lunch through the National School Lunch Program. As schools move towards providing better choices to improve student nutrition, the Sustainable Food Pathway allows students to get involved in the process. Many of our Eco-Schools grow their own fruits and vegetables in their school garden, while others have set up a Farm to School program, increasing the amount of available daily fresh food choices. Begin by working with administrators and cafeteria staff to brainstorm how you can improve meals:

Replace processed foods with fresh whenever possible.

Calculate food miles for student lunches as well as the water needed to process the food from the field/farm to the students’ plates.

Investigate the possibility of connecting with area farms and incorporating local and/or organic food into your cafeteria meal plan. Did you know that October is National Farm to School Month?

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2017/10/eco-schools-usa-traveling-along-the-pathways-to-sustainability-part-3/feed/0130934Eco-Schools USA Traveling Along the Pathways to Sustainability – Part 2http://blog.nwf.org/2017/09/eco-schools-usa-traveling-along-the-pathways-to-sustainability-part-2/
http://blog.nwf.org/2017/09/eco-schools-usa-traveling-along-the-pathways-to-sustainability-part-2/#commentsTue, 26 Sep 2017 13:00:41 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=130765Ever thought about turning your school grounds into an outdoor learning laboratory? How about working towards zero waste by recycling and composting? In this second post of our three part blog series highlighting the 12 Eco-Schools USA Pathways, we feature the popular Schoolyard Habitats®and Consumption and Waste Pathways, along with Healthy Schools and Transportation. Read on to learn how to get started using these Pathways to incorporate place-based learning experiences into your school’s curriculum and to find project ideas for students.

SERIES 2

Schoolyard Habitats®

From urban rooftops to expansive school gardens, our Eco-Schools from coast to coast have worked hard to create unique Schoolyard Habitats. These spaces serve multiple purposes, from wildlife habitat to outdoor learning labs, to supporting biodiversity and growing foods that are shared within the school and greater community. Can you think of a better way to engage students of all academic levels? One project idea is for students is to develop a rainwater catchment system that can be used for watering once a school garden is in place.

Rainwater catchment involves collecting rainwater from a roof or other surface before it reaches the ground and storing it for future use on school gardens, trees, and other planted areas.

Incorporate the arts by asking students to create a design to be used to brighten up the outside of rain barrels

Consumption and Waste

Genesee Community Charter School. Photo Credit: Chris Dolgos

Genesee Community Charter School. Photo Credit: Chris Dolgos

School is the perfect environment for engaging students in lessons about the environmental impacts of consumption and waste habits. Whether it’s through increased paper recycling in the classroom, composting in the cafeteria, or the collection of used markers and crayons, even the youngest students can make a measurable impact. An easy way to get started is simply by improving communication about waste and recycling initiatives to staff, students and parents.

Ensure that recycling bins are clearly marked.

Use colorful stickers and posters to clarify what does and does not go in the recycling bins.

Announce recycling initiatives in school assemblies, staff meetings, newsletters and on the school website.

Hold class competitions or recycling days to keep waste reduction prominent and fun.

Use bulletin boards and displays around the school to show how the consumption and waste habits of the school community are changing.

Healthy Schools

Healthy Schools. Photo Credit: Rawpixel.com/Adobe Stock

A healthy learning environment for both students and staff is an important component of a sustainable school. Things like poor air quality and the use of hazardous chemicals in school buildings are just some of the areas to be addressed through the Healthy Schools pathway. While students can play a key role in making changes, keep in mind that the expertise of facility managers and administrators may also be required for some activities. One way to move towards a more healthy school is to improve the indoor air quality. Use these tips to get started:

Use HEPA filters in the ventilation system and change air filters regularly.

Make sure all air vents are unblocked and free from clutter.

Ask bus drivers not to idle next to the fresh air intake and ask facilities staff to move garbage away from air intakes.

Transportation

Transportation. Photo Credit: zaikina/Adobe Stock

As more and more schools face budget shortfalls, cuts in bus routes have become more commonplace. Addressing the Transportation Pathway gives students the opportunity to discuss the need for safe routes to walk and bike to local schools, while also considering the impact of more cars idling on school property in the morning and afternoon. In addition, students can learn about and educate the school community on the benefits gained from the increased physical activity when walking or biking to school. To get started, students can organize a “Walking School Bus.”

A walking school bus is a group of children walking to school with one or more adults.

It can be as informal as two families taking turns walking their children to school or as structured as a route with meeting points, a timetable and a rotating schedule of trained volunteers.

A bicycle train is another option, in which adults supervise children riding their bikes to school

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2017/09/eco-schools-usa-traveling-along-the-pathways-to-sustainability-part-2/feed/1130765Eco-Schools USA Traveling Along the Pathways to Sustainability – Part 1http://blog.nwf.org/2017/09/traveling-along-the-pathways-to-sustainability-part-1/
http://blog.nwf.org/2017/09/traveling-along-the-pathways-to-sustainability-part-1/#respondTue, 19 Sep 2017 12:00:34 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=130497School is in full swing and as Eco-Schools USA begins its ninth year, we are excited to introduce two new environmental focus areas, or pathways. This brings the total number of pathways to 12, and provides schools with opportunities to integrate a wide-range of authentic, place-based, and environment focused instructional strategies a part of the school’s curriculum. Use our flexible seven step framework to focus on topics like climate change, biodiversity, healthy schools or sustainable foods. To kick-off the 2017-2018 school year, join us and share our 3 part series, which highlights all 12 pathways and idea springboards to get you started.

WOW (Watersheds, Oceans and Wetlands)

No matter where your school is located, learning to be good stewards of our waterways is crucial. Students can address any of the three pathways: Watersheds, Oceans or Wetlands to learn how to better conserve and protect these precious natural resources.

Invite a local resource specialist or non-profit to speak to your school about how students can help protect and monitor their watershed.

Students can develop an awareness campaign around how the community relies on the ocean; bringing attention to problems and solutions associated with litter, especially plastics.

Students can conduct field investigations on the impacts of runoff on wetland wildlife.

Learning About Forests (LEAF)

Photo Credit: Brooklyn New School

Our 2nd new pathway, Learning About Forests (LEAF) is a Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) program hosted by National Wildlife Federation in the United States. Using outdoor and classroom learning, students have an opportunity to increase their knowledge about the key role forests play in sustaining life on our planet. One action a school can take is to help identify invasive plant species on school grounds or in a local community forest.

Contact your local native plant society or state Department of Forestry to find out which plants are invasive in your area.

Learn the appropriate way to remove invasive plants you are targeting, then plan school or community events to remove invasive plants.

Climate Change

Schools addressing our climate change pathway are engaging in fact-based science investigations around Earth’s climate problems. They are reducing their carbon footprints, and through collaboration are designing resilience and mitigation solutions to the ongoing climate crisis. Kick off the Climate Change pathway by:

Healthy Living

In today’s world students are spending more time inside and more time connected to electronic devices, making the Healthy Living Pathway more important than ever. Schools play a vital role in promoting regular exercise and healthy diets, along with developing student’s emotional well-being. How can students educate the school community about behaviors that promote overall wellness?

One example would be to work together to develop a school-wide campaign encouraging students to get outside every day.

Have students design and post stickers, posters and signs as reminders for people to spend time outdoors.

Send home information with students and consider holding a workshop or a series of guest speakers for parents, teachers and staff about the importance of time outside.

Take learning outdoors, whether students are reading a novel, practicing orders of operations in mathematics, or learning about the Westward Expansion, learning can be more engaging when the scenery changes.

Check back with us to learn about the other Pathways in weeks to come and visit Eco-school USA to download the free handbook.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2017/09/traveling-along-the-pathways-to-sustainability-part-1/feed/0130497Eco-Schools USA Case Study: Students Take the Lead at Lothrophttp://blog.nwf.org/2011/06/students-lead-at-lothrop/
http://blog.nwf.org/2011/06/students-lead-at-lothrop/#respondFri, 10 Jun 2011 20:48:10 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=80811“My hands should never touch the recycling bins,” says Pamela Galus, the science specialist at Lothrop Science and Technology Magnet School in Omaha, Nebraska. At this bronze-level Eco-School, Galus strives to make sure students take the lead in every aspect of their school greening initiative. For the work to be sustainable, she explains, the adults can’t be the ones who run the show. “There shouldn’t be anyone who’s irreplaceable,” she says. Leading the charge can be a burnout role, and besides, she and her fellow teachers value the many teaching opportunities that come from involving students in every step of the process.

The goal is for teachers to collaborate and share the work, and for students to take ownership of the program wherever possible, with older kids passing the torch to younger ones as they progress through the grade levels at this early childhood to 4th grade school.

A student-led approach is one of the key aspects of the Eco-Schools program, and Lothrop provides an excellent model of how this can work. The school started its greening efforts with waste reduction. They began with a waste audit: During science class, students donned masks and gloves and spread out the contents of the trash cans to assess what could be diverted from the waste stream. Now, three students are on paper patrol each week. They have 15 minutes daily to collect recycling from classrooms around the school and then return to their own class. All the teachers keep an eye out to ensure that the students are on task as they haul the recycling bins to the custodians.

In the cafeteria, waste reduction requires a number of steps, from sorting recyclable containers and plasticware to collecting food waste for composting. As students finish their meals, they progress down a line, putting each item into the correct bin. Galus noted that on one day when the bins weren’t in place, the students were at a loss—they couldn’t fathom simply dumping an entire tray into the trash can. Already, the school has cut cafeteria waste from 20 bags per day to just 2, reducing the number of trash pickups and saving the school $1000. They still hope to find an alternative to their non-recyclable foam trays. And, while some of their compost currently goes to a local community garden’s vermicomposting system, they are experimenting with vermicomposting at school and, in partnership with a nearby high school, striving to find a large-scale solution that they can implement on school grounds. According to Galus, “It’s a valuable way for the kids to experiment with solving a real-world problem.”

The school also collects batteries, electronics, and eyeglasses for recycling. They saved juice boxes for a local commercial garden, which used them as planters for a sunflower maze. In the waste audit, they found that crayons were frequently thrown away, and devised several creative ways to reuse them. First, they fashioned the broken pieces into a large, colorful mosaic that spells out RECYCLE. Now they are finding ways to melt the pieces and form them into new shapes for the younger students. They also made a connection with an organization that works in Madagascar and saved crayons to send to the students there.

They’re now working to incorporate energy and water conservation into their program. Again, students take responsibility for making it happen. In each class, a student “electrician” checks to be sure lights and electronics are turned off when not in use. A “plumber” keeps an eye on water usage. Meanwhile, a recycling monitor watches to be sure materials make it into the right bin.

Because the school has a science focus, all the students do science fair projects each year and are encouraged to use the scientific process in many aspects of their academic work. Through observing and tracking behavior, students learned that 1) the distance between the recycling and the trash bins affects recycling rates, and 2) if someone is standing at the bins, the amount of material that gets recycled increases. More student experiments are always in progress in the school’s greenhouse, where they also grow vegetable starts for their outdoor classroom garden.

Connecting Lothrop students with kids in other places around the world is another goal of the program. The school has a distance learning lab which was used to conduct an “Environmental Summit” with three schools in Canada. Students have email penpals in Madagascar, India, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. Many of the Lothrop students haven’t been outside of Omaha, so this has been an eye-opening experience for them. Galus says they hope to use the learning lab for more real-time meet-ups, but different time zones and limited access to technology in other parts of the world make it challenging. However, next year they will be mentoring a school in Louisiana that is just getting started with a recycling program, and this will be another way to connect to students in a different place and to cultivate their leadership skills.

What does all this mean for the Lothrop students? Not only are they learning new skills and attitudes at school, they are also taking their experiences home to their families. Many have started recycling at home, a noteworthy achievement in a city where only about half the residents participate in free curbside recycling. Students also take home vegetable plants from the school’s greenhouse to start container gardens, a positive step toward healthier eating and a connection with nature in their urban environment. There’s no doubt that these projects are just the beginning for these young leaders!

To learn more about Lothrop’s Eco-Schools work, visit Mrs. Galus’ webpage. You can also contact her at Pamela.Galus@ops.org if you’d like to compare notes about an established or new program—a terrific way to share valuable experience!

Students at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School in Chicago are taking part in the HSBC Eco-Schools USA Climate Initiative, and making huge strides towards greening their school!
Amy Andrews, a third grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary, first learned about the climate initiative while browsing teacher resources online. The program, aimed at developing a global network of schools actively working to reduce carbon emissions, provides participating schools with on-the-ground training on how to implement carbon reduction action projects using volunteers from local area HSBC North America offices. After attending a training workshop hosted by NWF and HSBC North America, Amy recruited another teacher at the school, Valerie Rutkowski, to help her kick off the program. In March of this year they, along with their HSBC volunteers Kristine Schleede and Rammesh Navaneethakrishnan, formally established an Eco-Schools USA program at the school.

The school’s Eco-Action Team is made up of roughly 20 to 25 students in grades four through eight. Currently the team is working on their environmental audit. They are focusing first on the energy pathway and on uncovering ways to make the school building (built in 1871) more energy efficient. The school engineer, Patrick Carney, has been on board with the program from the start, providing students with a tour of the boiler room and educating them about improvements that have already been made to improve the school’s energy efficiency.

As part of the HSBC Eco-Schools Climate Initiative, Lincoln Elementary will receive a $500 mini grant. They plan to use it to get the Eco-Action Team working with other students in the school’s newly constructed greenhouse which is part of their green roof. The team will work on planting projects and help spread environmental awareness among their classmates.

Amy Andrews has enjoyed taking part in the HSBC Eco-Schools Climate Initiative, and is glad that the program has helped her students and the school community to become more environmentally conscious. “When the HSBC volunteers came into the school, the students were really into it. It was a special thing for them having the volunteers here.” And, just recently, Lincoln Elementary learned that they won first place in the HSBC Eco-Code national poster contest! Students Laura Goralka and Mackenzie Bradley created the award-winning poster, titled “Going Green Before Your Eyes.”

The positive experience with HSBC has inspired Amy to identify other groups in the region to partner with. In May, members of the Eco-Action team took part in Climate Cycle’s Solar School Ride, a 10 mile bike ride to raise funds to have solar panels placed on Chicago area schools. They also participated in the Live Earth Run For Water, a 6 kilometer run/walk to raise awareness about our need to conserve and protect our water resources. They helped host a booth at the event, which was sponsored by the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program, to inform the public about the importance of water.

Ultimately, Lincoln Elementary School hopes to act as a model for Chicago Public Schools and their efforts to go green. Good luck, Lincoln Elementary, we support you all the way!

It’s the oldest school in the United States, but Boston Latin School prides itself on its new thinking. Students have taken the initiative on several ambitious projects, rapidly transforming the Boston, Massachusetts school into a leader in education for sustainability.

Inspired by the documentary An Inconvenient Truth, students at Boston Latin School founded the Youth Climate Action Network (BLS Youth CAN) in 2007. The network now includes climate action clubs in 18 schools throughout the eastern Massachusetts area. To further engage schools in the region, BLS held its 4th Annual Climate Change Summit in May 2010. Students from over 50 schools gathered at MIT for the event. Presentations and workshops gave students and teachers an opportunity to learn more about climate change and its effects and to envision solutions.

FTL Solar Tent

Students at BLS have already shown their dedication to the cause. Earlier in the school year, they submitted over 580 “green wishes” for their school and won a contest sponsored by Eco-Schools USA in conjunction with Warner Brothers. During the Summit, they were presented with the grand prize—a solar tent from FTL Solar. The tent has a solar array capable of turning sunlight into electricity, and will be used as an outdoor classroom. Summit participants got to see the tent in action: It powered the equipment for the BLS band as student musicians played and a group of dancing “green people” entertained the crowd.

“BLS Youth CAN is delighted and excited to have won this solar tent from FTL Solar and NWF,” said BLS Youth CAN member Rebecca Park. “Our school and the Youth Climate Action Network are working on all levels to become sustainable. The opportunities it brings for both renewable energy generation and hands-on education are fantastic. We see this solar tent as one more step in engaging in NWF’s Eco-Schools USA program and as part of our new green roof initiative.”

The school is in the process of implementing a green roof project that will provide an oasis of vegetation in the middle of the city—and a tremendous learning opportunity for students. Students contributed to the design process and are actively engaged in fundraising and communicating about the project. When the roof is complete, students will use it to grow food for the school cafeteria, monitor and analyze streaming data, and offer other area schools an opportunity to share in the learning. In fact, they envision a much larger green-roof coalition in their part of the city. And they are also advocating for—and working to create—a mandatory education-for-sustainability curriculum for all schools in the state of Massachusetts.